Chapter 11
Simone arrived at the restaurant where she was to meet Roxanne about twenty minutes early. She just couldn’t get her encounter with Ganja’s sister out of her mind. There is no way that the man she had fallen for, the man she has been kissing and loving for the past nine months could have done something so terrible! She had to sneak a peek at that letter. She found an empty booth that was out of the way so that she could have a bit of privacy. She pulled the sealed envelope from her purse and took a deep breath as she used her fingernail to slide the flap open and removed the small handwritten letter. It read:
To Whom It May Concern;
If you are reading this letter it probably means I’m dead or fucked up pretty bad. So, to whoever is reading this, know that whatever happened to me was no accident. It was a planned attack…a hit…
“Hey sweetie! Whatcha reading there?” Simone folded the letter abruptly and placed it under hands on the table.
“Hey Roxanne! How are you?”
“Oh, is it a love letter from your sweetie?” Roxanne teased.
Simone laughed nervously. “Yeah, he’s a real softy sometimes. So, what did you need to see me about?”
“Well, I have good news.” Roxanne smiled from ear to ear.
“Okay?” Simone answered, still hiding the letter under he hands.
“You are going to be on the cover of King and Essence magazines!”
She tried to drum up some excitement, but failed miserably. “Oh, that’s great!”
Roxanne noticed her somewhat forced reaction, reached across the table and lightly touched her hand. “Honey, are you okay? You seem a little distracted. Does it have something to do with that letter you were reading?”
Simone just looked down at the letter beneath her hands and took a deep breath.
“Honey, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?” Roxanne said in a comforting voice. “You know that you’re like a daughter to me.”
“Yes, I know.” Simone agreed.
“Okay, well tell me what’s wrong.” Roxanne put her briefcase down beside her seat.
“Okay, but this has to stay between us.”
“Of course, you know it will, now spill.” Roxanne smiled reassuringly.
“Well, Peaches, Neil and I were at a boutique downtown shopping and this woman approached us saying she was Ganja’s sister.”
“Okay.” Roxanne took a sip of her water.
“Well, she told us that Darius had something to do with what happened to her brother.”
“Oh my god! Honey, you can’t let crazy people get you riled up. Wasn’t the case determined a robbery?”
“Yes.” Simone muttered uneasily.
“Didn’t they exclude Darius from the suspects?” Roxanne asked.
“Yes.”
“So, why are you listening to this crazy broad?”
Simone handed Roxanne the letter. “She also gave me this saying that Ganja had it delivered to her just in case something happened to him. Why would he do that if he didn’t feel he was in some sort of danger?”
Roxanne took the letter and immediately ripped it to shreds.
“Oh my God! What are you doing?” Simone reached across the table and tried to grab as many shreds of the letter as she could.
Roxanne grabbed her hands. “Simone. Do you love Darius?”
Simone stopped trying to piece together the remnants of the letter. “Yes.”
“Do you think he feels the same way about you?”
“I think he does.” Simone smiled slightly.
“Why let outside influences ruin this for you? You are a celebrity, honey. How do we know this isn’t some stunt by one of the scandal rags?”
“We don’t. I guess you’re right.” Simone agreed.
“I know I am! Besides have you ever even met Ganja’s sister?”
“No.” Simone let go of the shreds of paper.
Roxanne chuckled. “How do you even know she was who she said she was?”
“You’re right. I don’t.” Simone smiled.
“Honey, after the Trent tragedy, he was there for you and has been ever since. Do you really think he is this evil and heartless?”
“No, not at all.” Simone shook her head because she felt so stupid that she actually started to believe what she heard.
“Okay, so let’s get rid of this, and talk about how fabulous you’re going to be at these photo shoots.” She smiled as she scooped the torn paper up off the table and crumbled them up in a napkin.
Darius stood at the end of one of the seven long aisles of bright, flashing slot machines. He could hardly believe that the grand opening was less than two weeks away. He jiggled the small cup of quarters in his hand as he slowly walked down the aisle deciding which slot machine he was going to use. After walking almost to the end of the aisle he finally chose one and sat down on the small stool. Just as he inserted one of the quarters and pulled the lever, Congressman Randall Frey turned into the aisle.
“We need to talk.” He said as he walked up beside Darius.
“Well, good morning Randall, buddy! How’s it going?” Darius smiled.
“You want to tell me why I’ve only been receiving half the amount of what we agreed?”
“Inflation, my man.” Darius chuckled.
“Inflation my ass! First, I’m shoveled out of the meeting with Carmine, barely given any info and now, you tell me that my cut of this shit has been affected by inflation? If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t have any of this!”
Darius looked down at the floor with a smile. “Is that what you think?”
“You’re damn right. Frankly, I think I’m ready to pull out. You obviously don’t need my, what did you call it? My ‘two hundred thousand a year government salary anyway, right? I should have known better than to get mixed up with some nigger rapper.”
Darius smiled as he calmly stood and placed his cup of quarters down on the stool. He took a step closer to the Congressman and while still smiling punched him to the ground with a right jab to the jaw. “Well, there goes my New Year’s resolution. I got this far into the year without having to knock anybody out. Thanks a lot.” Darius said shaking his hand.
“You are going to seriously pay for this you crazy bastard!” Congressman Randall said cupping his throbbing jaw.
“That’s right. I am a little crazy, but you Randall, you take the cake!”
The Congressman struggled back to his feet. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Darius laughed. “Oh, come on Randall. We both know you have a taste for the young ones.”
“Are you insinuating that I’m a child molester?” He said shocked by the accusation.
“Oh no, I’m sorry, you don’t like them that young. If I’m not mistaken you like them barely legal, around eighteen, nineteen, right?”
The Congressman swallowed hard. “That is ridiculous. I’m leaving. If this is your way of keeping me in this, you are crazier than I thought.”
“Am I?” Darius shouted as the Congressman walked away. “Does the name Tihanna Russell mean anything to you?”
The Congressman stopped in his tracks and turned in horror.
“Oh…I see it does.” Darius took a few steps up to the Congressman. “See, the little lady was very willing to talk, especially after I flashed some money and college in her face.”
The Congressman’s face turned beet red.
“Come to find out, she’s not the only one is she Randall? Let’s see, there’s Ava, Lynn, Raynell, and oh, let’s not forget Sasha. I wonder how your ultra-conservative constituents feel about the fact that their Congressman is ‘down for the swirl’?”
The Congressman was livid at this point. “Who is going to believe some no good rapper over a US Congressman?”
“You’d be surprised. What about your daughter?” Darius said with aloofness.
“You stay the hell away from my daughter!” The Congressman shouted.
“Oh don’t worry Randall.�
�� Darius patted the side of his face. “I wouldn’t dream of hurting a hair on her sexy face. How old is she now, twenty-five? Twenty-six? She must look like her mom because nothing that fine could have come out of you. No pun intended.”
“I am warning you.” The Congressman was seething with hatred for Darius.
“Or what? You see. I kind of knew you would try this bullshit so I had to make some provisions for myself. As long as you stick to the plan, nobody gets hurt.”
“Fine. I‘ll stay in.” The Congressman said through tightly clinched teeth.
“That’s a good boy.” Darius smiled. “Now, although this talk has been fun, I’m sure you have some bogus bills to pass or some dirty elbows to rub, so you can be on your way.”
The Congressman gave him a very angry stare as he turned and headed out of the casino. Darius laughed as he sat back down in front of the slot machine and inserted another quarter.
Chapter 12
Simone rushed to the phone in the new condo that she and Darius now shared, when she heard it ringing. She was very disappointed to hear Detective Rice’s voice. “What do you want?”
“Look, I know you don’t want to hear from me.” Said Detective Rice.
You’re absolutely right, so goodbye.” She started to hang up the phone.
Wait!” Detective Rice interrupted. “I think you are in real danger being with Darius.”
“What is your problem? Why do you have this insane obsession with him?”
“We found Ganja’s lawyer dead this morning.” Detective Rice blurted.
“What? That’s terrible! Again, what does that have to do with Darius?”
“A lot. Don’t you find it odd that, this man, whom was just recently quoted that he had the truth about the whole Ganja beating and he would reveal the truth, is not only found dead, but his office was also cleaned out?”
Simone was silent for a moment. “Yes, that is strange, but none of that points to Darius! We don’t know if Ganja was mixed up in some crazy stuff that got him nearly killed.”
“Well, how about the fact that prior to this we have witnesses that have come forward and say that they overheard Ganja telling Darius at the radio station that he had something on him?”
Simone was silent.
“You there?” Detective Rice asked.
“Yes, I’m here. Who are these witnesses?”
“Come on Ms. Carmichael. You know I can’t tell you that!”
“Why are you telling me any of this?” She depicted an ease that she didn’t necessarily feel.
“I’m telling you because I know you are a smart lady. You need to get away from him as soon as possible before you end up like Ganja, or God forbid, his lawyer.”
“Hey baby, who you talking to?” Darius’s voice came from behind her.
She quickly hung up the phone. “Hi sweetie! Oh, that was just Roxanne giving me the details on my photo shoots.” She reached up and gave him big hug and kiss. Could what Detective Rice told her be true? She knew she had to find out for herself. She honestly could not see where he could be as evil as he is being made out to be. He is a giant teddy bear with her. Over the past nine months, he has given her everything she could have wanted; cars, an absolutely beautiful new condo, but most of all he has been the most loving man she had ever been with. She didn’t want to mess that up. “I missed you so much. How was LA?”
“Oh, you know; same old, same old, business as usual.” He said as he ran his hands along her face.
“Okay. Well, I made you a home cooked dinner.”
D raised an eyebrow. He knew that Simone couldn’t scramble eggs, let alone prepare a home cooked meal. “YOU made it?”
“Well, Peaches and Neal cooked it. I helped though…a little.”
“Okay,” D laughed as he grabbed her hand as she turned to head towards the kitchen. “I have something for you.”
“You do?” She broke into a wide, open smile.
He turned and picked up a box he had put down by the front door and handed it to her.
“What is this? You didn’t have to bring me anything!” She smiled as she rushed over to the white leather sofa to open it. “Oh my God! It’s beautiful!” She screeched as she pulled out a jet black mink waist length jacket.
“I know you have a few minks, but this one was special.” Darius smiled, happy that she liked his gift so much.
Simone slipped on the jacket and went and stood in front of the giant floor length mirror in the hallway. “Well, you were totally…” Simone stopped as she pulled out a small red velvet box out of the pocket and turned to D. “What is this?”
D walked over to her and looked her straight in her eyes. “Babe, you have been a blessing to me. You were one of the few people that stood by me through all that has went down, and I love you more than any woman I have met. You are beautiful, smart, feisty, and sexy as hell. I know we haven’t been together for a long time, but I can’t see my life without you as a part of it. Will you make me the luckiest man on the planet and agree to be my wife?”
She could barely hold back the flood of emotion as she shouted, “Yes!”
He smiled ear to ear as he lifted her to him and pressed his lips against hers. She had never felt him squeeze her body to his so tightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her up by her bottom and walked her into the bedroom.
Detective Rice stormed into the lavish apartment where he and his fiancée Brenda lived in together and plopped down on the couch in frustration. The only reason they could afford this type of living was because Brenda’s family was quite well off.
She got a hard time from all sides when she decided to join the force. Her family all but disowned and called her an embarrassment and she wasn’t even remotely taken seriously within the police department, either. Her big chance came on the heels of her saving the lives of two officers during a robbery standoff. Not only did she gain the respect of the police department, but the city also.
“Hey sweet pea!” Brenda came out of the bedroom and sat down beside him on the couch. “Hard day?”
“To say the least.” He scoffed.
“What happened?” She placed her hand on his.
“We found Ganja’s lawyer dead.”
She gasped softly. “Oh no! What happened to him?”
“He was shot point blank, execution style. They found him in his hotel room. We think he was trying to get out of town, but just wasn’t fast enough.”
“You suspect D-Smooth?” She asked cautiously.
“Yes!”
“Honey, don’t you think this obsession has gone far enough? Didn’t the Chief put you to work on the new Hybrid task force? That’s a big deal, considering things have been kind of strained between the two of you lately.”
“Task force.” He scoffed. “That’s only the Chief trying to distract me.”
“I don’t think so. He obviously had faith in you despite this obsession of yours.”
“Obsession? How much more is this dude supposed to get away with?” He was annoyed with her lack of confidence in him.
“He shouldn’t get away anything. I’m just saying that you spend way too much of your time, no, our time on him. The case was ruled a robbery and he was ruled out as a suspect.” She tried to reach out and touch him, but her hand was pushed away.
“That is bullshit and you know it, Brenda!”
“Whether it is or isn’t, Dick, you don’t have any proof of anything!” She said in a low and loving voice.
“What about the fact that I now have two, count them, two witnesses that say they overheard Ganja and Darius arguing at the radio station the day before he was beaten?”
“That’s awesome!” Brenda smiled. “Have you told the Chief? Are they willing to come in and give their statements?”
“I’ve tried to convince them to, but they’re afraid.”
“So, basically, you have no real evidence and ’witnesses’ that aren’t willing to talk.” She said with disappointment.
>
“Well, what about the fact that Ganja’s lawyer was about to give me some really damning evidence and now all of a sudden he’s found dead?”
Diamond Lives, Platinum Lies Page 9
